Parking Garage Repairs

Happening Now

Rankin Avenue Garage:

The upper levels of the Rankin Avenue garage are now back open. The supplemental steel supports for the top levels are in place, and the repairs to the down ramp from level 3 are complete.

Wall Street Garage:

The elevator landing repairs are complete. The elevators are back in full service.

Project Update:

The Immediate-Priority Repairs project is now wrapping up. We are 95% complete with the structural repairs that started in the Fall of 2023 at the Wall Street, Rankin Avenue and Harrah’s Cherokee Center parking garages. Pending budget approval in the new fiscal year that begins July 1st, the next phase of prioritized repairs–focused around the leaning, sealing and waterproofing of the concrete and steel surfaces–is scheduled for the later half of 2024.

More information on this project can be found in Public Input at this link.

Background

The City of Asheville operates four parking decks located in the Downtown Central Business District: the Harrah’s Cherokee Center, Wall Street, Rankin Avenue, and Biltmore Avenue garages.

The facilities were built in 1976, 1988, 1988 and 2011 respectively. As the facilities age the frequency with which they need to be inspected increases. A comprehensive facility assessment of all four garages was performed in the first half of 2023. The report identified select repairs and wholesale renovations categorized by priority:

Immediate Repairs – the most urgent repairs
Base Repairs – high priority repairs
Enhancements – medium priority repairs

. Common repairs included in the report are:

Concrete repairs
Stair and elevator framing replacement/repair
Joint sealant replacement
Guard rail replacements
Weatherproofing and coatings
Restriping and improved signage

These repairs will be implemented over the next 2 ½ years in phases organized to address the highest priorities first, and with as minimal disruption to parking services as possible. Over the course of the project, parking availability will be limited at times throughout the four garages.

For updates on parking limitations, closures and detours check the “Happening Now” section, and click here to sign up to receive updates and alerts.

Timeline

Immediate Priority Repairs and Accessibility Improvements, Fall 2023 – Winter 2024
- Impacted Facilities: Wall Street, Ranking Ave, Harrah’s Cherokee Center Garages.
- Repairs needed for stairwells, elevator shafts, and deck improvements.
- ADA: resizing of ADA spaces, new striping, relocation of select ADA parking spaces, cane detection, signage

High Priority Repairs, Spring 2024 – Spring 2026
- Waterproofing, joint seal replacements, mechanical, electrical and drainage repairs.

Medium Priority Repairs and Enhancement, Summer 2025 – Spring 2026
- Full replacement of Harrah’s Cherokee Center garage stairwells, replacement of framing at Wall Street elevator landings, guard rail replacements, signage and wayfinding improvements.

Frequently Asked Questions

Wouldn’t it be better to rebuild the parking garages?

In addition to the facility condition assessment, the consultants were also engaged to provide capital planning. This included an analysis comparing the costs of 1) a plan to repair and maintain the garages versus 2) a plan to replace the garages.
The analysis showed that over a 30-year period the cost of replacing the garages is 2 to 2 ½ times the cost of making the recommended repairs and implementing a preventative maintenance program.

How long will it take to update the parking garages?

A phased program of construction repairs will be on-going over the next 2½ years.
Construction will be scheduled with the goal of minimizing impacts to parking availability as much as possible.
Certain parking spaces and sections of garages will be periodically closed to accommodate construction activities. At times a garage might be closed entirely.
To receive updates on the closures, detours and construction activities, click here to register for alerts.

Can I still park in the parking garages?

The parking garages are safe and will remain open for parking as normal, with the exception of the select scheduled closures.

What will it cost to repair the garages?

The estimate for the repairs on all four of the garages is $11.3 million. Once complete, an annual maintenance budget of $1.06 million, escalated annually for inflation, is recommended.
Over a 30-year period the costs average out to less than $2 per day per parking space.


Parking Structure Per Space Costs
Parking Structure	30-Year Repair & Maintenance (in 2023 dollars)	# of Parking Spaces	Average Daily Cost Per Space
Wall Street	$5,500,000	221	$2.27
Rankin Avenue	$5,800,000	262	$2.02
Harrah’s Cherokee	$12,600,000	550	$2.09
Biltmore Avenue	$6,400,000	409	$1.43
Total	$30,300,000	1442	$1.92